In a year that has seen the shortest format of the game reach new heights of power-hitting and tactical mystery, former Indian cricketer and renowned commentator Abhinav Mukund has unveiled his Best T20I XI of 2025.
Ex-cricketer reveals his best XI of T20I format for 2025
While the list features a heavy presence of Indian stars who dominated the 2025 calendar, the biggest talking point remains the high-profile absence of Jasprit Bumrah. Despite Bumrah’s impressive show, Mukund has opted for a bowling attack based on current form and the unique impact players have had over the last twelve months. The lineup is a blend of explosive opening power, middle-order stability, and a bowling unit that features some of the most successful “resurgent” stars of 2025.
Solid top-order ft. Abhishek Sharma
Mukund’s opening duo reflects the “fearless” brand of cricket that defined 2025. Abhishek Sharma takes the pole position after a record-breaking year where he hammered a massive 135 off 54 balls against England. Partnering him is Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka, who has been a model of consistency, finishing the year with 2,345 career T20I runs and a brilliant 107 against India in the Asia Cup.
England’s Jos Buttler occupies the number three spot. Even as he balances national duty with the IPL, Buttler’s 2025 T20I strike rate remained formidable at nearly 149, providing the perfect bridge between the powerplay and the middle overs.
- Abhishek Sharma in 2025: 21 matches | 859 runs | 193.46 strike rate
- Pathum Nissanka in 2025: 18 matches | 625 runs | 149.16 strike rate
- Jos Buttler in 2025: 15 matches | 480 runs | 164.38 strike rate
Young guns and all-round depth
The middle order is dominated by India’s new-age superstars. Tilak Varma finds a spot after a prolific year, highlighted by a stunning 73 off 42 against South Africa in December. He is followed by the “finisher” duo of Tim David and South African sensation Dewald Brevis. Brevis, nicknamed “Baby AB,” truly arrived on the international stage in 2025, breaking records with an unbeaten 125 off 56 balls* against Australia—the highest individual T20I score for South Africa.
Leading the all-round department is Hardik Pandya, who enjoyed a vintage 2025. Pandya surpassed Yuvraj Singh’s record for the most “50+ runs and 1+ wicket” doubles in T20Is, ending his December series against the Proteas with 142 runs at a staggering strike rate of 186.84.
- Tilak Varma in 2025: 20 matches | 567 runs | 129.15 strike rate
- Tim David in 2025: 14 matches | 395 runs | 197.50 strike rate
- Dewald Brevis in 2025: 17 matches | 464 runs | 176.42 strike rate
- Hardik Pandya in 2025: 15 matches | 302 runs | 153.29 strike rate
The Jasprit Bumrah-less bowling attack
The most controversial aspect of the XI is the omission of Bumrah. Instead, Mukund has rewarded the sheer wicket-taking volume of New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy and India’s Varun Chakaravarthy. Notably, Bumrah had a strong year in T20Is in 2025, becoming only the second Indian to reach the 100-wicket milestone and performing exceptionally well in various series. He finished the year as India’s third-highest T20I wicket-taker.
Chakaravarthy also had a phenomenal year in T20Is in 2025, finishing as India’s leading wicket-taker and the joint-highest among all Test-playing nations with 36 wickets. His stellar performance made him the No. 1 ranked T20I bowler in the world and earned him the Player of the Series award in the home series against South Africa. Duffy, too, rose to become the World No. 1 T20I bowler in April 2025, following a demolition of Pakistan where he took 4/14. His impressive performance made him the first Kiwi bowler to claim over 30 T20I wickets in a calendar year. Mukund also went with Mohammad Nawaz and Mustafizur Rahman to complete his bowling attack.
- Varun Chakaravarthy in 2025: 20 matches | 36 wickets | 5/24 BBI
- Jacob Duffy in 2025: 21 matches | 35 wickets | 4/14 BBI
- Mohammad Nawaz in 2025: 26 matches | 36 wickets | 5/19 BBI
- Mustafizur Rahman in 2025: 20 matches | 26 wickets | 3/11 BBI
Abhinav Mukund’s best T20I XI of 2025: Abhishek Sharma, Pathum Nisaanka, Jos Buttler, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Dewald Brevis, Hardik Pandya, Mohammad Nawaz, Jacob Duffy, Varun Chakaravarthy, Mustafizur Rahman
